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How to Make Empanadas with Corn Dough / Cómo Hacer Empanadas con Masa de Maíz

“Corn Empandas” or “Quesadillas” are a delicious snack which can be eaten any day. They can be filled with a variety of fillings from farmer fresh cheese, squash flowers, potatoes, ground meat, shrimp, chicken, etc.

If you visit Mexico City or any small town, you will not have trouble finding a stand serving a variety of delicious empanadas. You can invite friends for a casual dinner any evening and present them with these empanadas. Believe me, they will not be disappointed!

Today’s corn empanadas are filled with “Tinga Poblana”, but you can also use fresh Mexican cheese, shredded cooked chicken, shrimp or cooked ground meat. Fillings vary from region to region, so here you can be creative and set your imagination free. I saved some of the “Tinga Poblana” from last week to cook these empanadas because the flavor of corn dough complements them very well.

Actually, the main reason for making this corn empanadas with “Tinga Poblana” is because I remember eating them in a small restaurant with tables and chairs outdoors. No, I am not talking about a fancy Paris-like restaurant, I’m talking about a run down place with ugly plastic furniture with good cheap food. The dough is very crispy and the Tinga is really flavorful. Enjoy!

For 12 Empanadas

Ingredients :

2 cups of masa harina

1-¼ cups of warm water (amount may vary depending on air humidity and other wheatear conditions).

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 pieces of round plastic cut out from a bag. (freezer bags are ideal for this purpose).

2 cups of filling ( cooked chicken, ground meat or grated cheese) Note: Filling must be cold to keep the dough in shape.

2 cups of shredded lettuce

1 avocado diced

About 1 1/2 cup of vegetable oil for frying

1. Prepare the dough in a bowl, mixing the masa harina, salt and warm water to form a ball, knead dough until smooth. Divide the dough in 12 balls, and flatten and slightly cover with plastic wrap. Set aside.

2. Place one ball of dough between two pieces of plastic and press using a tortilla press, a heavy skillet or a dish. I know, you have seen the tortilla press, but somehow I love to use my glass dishes for this step. So, do not be afraid, use whatever you have.

Remove the top piece of plastic and spoon some of the stuffing onto the tortilla. Leaving enough room to seal the edges.

Using the piece of plastic fold the dough over to make a half moon shape turn over. Pinch the edges, making sure they seal to avoid any leaking of the mixture while frying. Remove the empanada from the plastic set aside on a large plate or tray and cover with a plastic wrap. Keep working with the rest of the dough making the empanadas.

I got this cool frying pan in Georgia, I think, it was Alpharetta, GA in a Hispanic Store. I like that it has a large diameter but at the same time it works in my stove. It is a small version of the ones used in restaurants or street food vendors in Mexico.

Ola Mely,Your Empanada rounds are just perfect. Mine don't always look so round, they are sometimes oblong…lol…I am going to study your post and maybe I will get better. Thank you so much for sharing at Full Plate Thursday and please come back!

I found the frying pan at my local Vallarta Market in Van Nuys, California. I was so excited because I have been searching for it ever since I saw this posting. We are making empanadas this weekend. I will let you know how they turn out.

The empanadas were absolutely delicious. We have made our family's version of them before but this was the first time we used this cool frying pan. Less mess and crispy empanadas. Love all of your recipes. We are doing tacos tonight. Keep the recipes and fun cooking gadgets coming.

Okay, You've already answered the question regarding the frying pan used for the empanadas, but does it have a name? I'd love to get one, but I'm neither in Georgia or in California as posted by your readers.A Texan Reader. Love your blog–yumilicious!!!

I know this frying pan as " Comal para garnachas o enchiladas". It is not actually flat like a comal but that is the name I know for it. If you live in Texas you can find it at the flea markets. I just got a new one this year that my dear sister sent me from Texas. She got it at the flea market and also bought one for herself. They are very practice for frying food and there is less mess to clean.

There is a Filipino version called "Empananditas". It is made with flour dough (that turns golden and flaky), and is usually filled with ground beef (and or pork), potatoes, onions, garlic, peas, and raisins. I like to make mine a little bit spicy, to balance out the sweetness of the raisins. The combination of everything makes a wonderfully savory empanada. There's even a little bit of sauce in the mix ("gravy") to keep it from tasting dry. 🙂

When my husband and I went to Mexico (Playa del Carmen), there was a little kitchen off the beaten path, that made empanadas. They made one with just ground beef, and the other had shredded chicken. They served it with chopped cabbage and hot sauce. YUM! I think I ate 8 of them in one sitting, AND made sure to buy some to eat at the hotel. 🙂

Glad to know you visited Playa del Carmen and had the opportunity of tasting the empanadas. I usually like to top mine with finely shredded cabbage. There are other versions of empanadas made with wheat flour dough and also filled with fish, cold meat or ground meat.

We were looking up corn flour empanada recipes tonight and yours made us get up and start cooking with excitement. Thanks for the great photo directions. I used a glass pie plate to make the corn tortillas (my first time ever trying this) and they came out beautifully. We did use yellow masa harina which made the dough crunchy, but we still enjoyed our beautiful dinner. Next time we plan to try this recipe using white masa harina flour for a softer dough.

We were looking up corn flour empanada recipes tonight and yours made us get up and start cooking with excitement. Thanks for the great photo directions. I used a glass pie plate to make the corn tortillas (my first time ever trying this) and they came out beautifully. We did use yellow masa harina which made the dough crunchy, but we still enjoyed our beautiful dinner. Next time we plan to try this recipe using white masa harina flour for a softer dough.

My husband and I made empanadas tonight but the masa didn't cook all the way thru. We tried cooking them longer, but they almost burnt and still weren't cooked thru. I was afraid if I made the rounds thinner they wouldn't hold. Could it be the store bought prepared masa?

Do you mean the masa preparada they sell for tamales? That masa has lard or shortening making it difficult to form a thin circle to make the empanadas. If plain masa is not available use corn flour masa, like maseca or other brand.

Hello,I had never tried them bake, or even heard of it. But, you can try. Maybe brushing a little bit of oil on and baking on previously greased sheet. Now, you got me thinking about it. I will try and post about it.

Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I'm trying to go gluten free and your instructions were great and helped me make spicy ground beef and cheese empanadas for the first time. They were very tasty with pico de gallo and lettuce on the side, along with refried beans. Thanks again and I will definitely return for more authentic recipes.

You mean sweet pumpkin empanadas? I never heard of it, but for sure you can try. I bet the crunchy texture of the corn masa will be great with the soft and sweet filling of the pumpkin. I make some at home using cheese and sugar, and my family love them!

Hola Mely,These look delicious – I'm looking for things I can cook in advance and then freeze for my coeliac daughter to take to school for lunch. Do you know how well these freeze? And if they would still be good eaten cold after defrosting?Many thanks!

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¡HOLA!

Hi, I’m Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes of authentic Mexican food. Read more…